Pinilla, 24, co-wrote and directed the film, which examines the idea of how a child might use her imagination to cope with death and loss.

“What was most fascinating to me was the ability to explore a perspective that people don’t really think about,” says Pinilla. “We all used to be children at some point, and we saw the world in such a different way. To us, everything was so innocent and good and our outlook was so bright. I wanted to [introduce] a terrifying reality that we all deal with on a regular basis and explore it through the eyes of how we used to see the world.”

To do this, Pinilla and his crew kept the camera below eye level and created a landscape of artificial snow to evoke innocence. The film was also shot partially on Super 8mm film to give it a nostalgic feel.

Pinilla, who graduated in 2009, has won 6 Promax GOLD awards and three Emmys for his work in broadcasting and advertising. He has been nominated for 11 Emmys. Pinilla’s first short, Numbers on a Napkin, was featured at several film festivals, including HBO’s International Latino Film Festival.